Means for making building blocks



H. E. CLOUSER AND E. R. THORNTON.

MEANS FOR MAKING Bunums BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG 16, I920- Patented-Mari 21,1922.

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MEANS FOR MAKING BUILDING BLOCKS.

APPHCATION HLED AUGJG, 1920.

Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

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, TTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT oerics.

HARRY E. GLOUSER AND EDGAR R. THORNTON, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

MEANS non. MAKING BUILDING BLOCKS.

Application filed August 16 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we. HARRY E. CLoUsnn and EDGAR R. Tnomvron, citizens of the United States, residing at Stockton, county of San Joaquin, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Making Building Blocks; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and-exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, to the characters of reference marked thereon. which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in the method of manufacture. of building blocks formed of concrete, clay or other materials of a like nature.

The principal object of our invention is to provide a structure by means of which the material will be passed into a mold tampe'd, and the mold then opened to withdraw the pressed and finished block therefrom. This latter feature especially is one of the most important of our structure, since it is contemplated to use this mold particularly with our design of building block shown in our co-pending application Serial No. @3952, filer August 16, 1920, and which block has interlocking features which include protruding ridges along two edge-faces and corresponding recesses or troughs along the remaining edge-faces. These ridges and de pressions being formed in the block luring the making of the same, the mold is of course formed with corresponding features. The block cannot therefore be shoved through the mold to remove the same, since the projecting features interfere. It is therefore necessary that at least one side of the mold be made to open so that the block may be withdrawn therefrom. It is also desirable that three sides of the mold should move away from the block before the latter is moved. so that the still green or unset material of the block will not be disturbed or any edges or corners knocked off.

Another object of our invention is to provide a mold-container which will be constructed to removably receive mold pieces to form the blocks, so that said pieces may be interchanged to form other design of blocks. e have also arranged to utilize this mold container in connection with filler- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented B131, 21, 1922.

, 1920. serial No. 404,024.

blocks themselves adapted to receive the mold-pieces, so that different sizes of blocks may be made with one standard size of contamer.

A third object is to construct a container which will be hinged on all four edges, one pair of hinged end being fitted with a catch means to allow the same to be spread apart, and the front and sides of the container being provided with means whereby these three sides will automatically spread apart when the lock is disengaged. In this manner the mold pieces, being fixed to the container, pull directly away from the corresponding edges of the block, leaving the latter free to be withdrawn.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes which it is designed. These objects we accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement'of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the complete structure, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device.

Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the mold-container. showing the same locked.

Fig. l is a similar view of the container with a set of mold'pieces therein, the con tainer' being unlocked and partly spread.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a supporting and guide frame.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on a line (S -6 of Fig. 4. I Y

Fig. 7 is a'perspective view of a fillerblock adapted to be inserted into either end of thecontainer.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 represents a rectangular and horizontal frame of a suitable height, and hav ing a support 2 depending from the back side thereof and provided with feet 3 whereby the member may be rigidly secured to a table or bench top eta suitable height from the ground.

The front side 1 of the frame 1 is hinged to the ends as shown at 5, the hinge pin 6 on Inside the ends of the frame are fitted;

plates 7 adapted to be moved lengthwise of the frame by means of adjustment screws 8.

The area. enclosed by this frame when the plates 7 are adjacent the ends thereof, is that of the face of the largest block we ever contemplate making.

Under this frame member is positioned the mold container 9 which comprises a back piece 10 end pieces 1.1 and a front piece 12, all four pieces being hinged together as at 13, while the front piece 12 at the right hand side thereof is provided with a hand locking device 14 adapted to engage a lug 15 formed on the corresponding end of the adjacent side piece 11. The'back piece 10 is arranged to be bolted or otherwise removably but firmly secured to the back support 2 of the frame 1 and immediately under the latter.

. The inner faces of all the container memhere are provided with vertical dove-tailed grooves extending from the top down a certain distance, as shown at 16, these grooves being, arranged to receive similarly shaped members 17 formed on the backs of the mold pieces 18, the inner faces of these pieces being provided with longitudinal ridges and grooves as at 19 which form the interlocking features of the blocks made with this device. 1

The size of the container 9 relative to the frame 1 is such that the inner faces of the mold pieces inserted therein will lie exactly flush with the inner surface of the member 1. p Arranged to fit into either end of the container 9 are filler blocks 20 one being adapted to mortise into the end piece 11 of the container, while the other faces are grooved as at 21 to receive the end mold pieces. These fillers would be made .of a number of sizes with varying distances between such opposed faces, depending on the number of different lengths of blocks it is desired to make, the height and thickness of all such blocks being the same.

When these fillers are used, the plates 7 in the frame 1 are ofcourse adjusted so that their inner faces are flush with the moldpieces held by the filler blocks.

Built up about the frame 1 is a suitable frame work 22, in which is mounted a vertical shaft 23 central of the frame 1 and having a base plate 24 thereon arranged to sup port removable shoes or stamps 25 which are of different sizes to neatly pass through theframe 1, such sizes being made to, conform to the different sized blocks to be made as governed by the blocks 20 and plates 7.

This shaft is arranged for a certain amount of vertical movement, such movement downwardly being limited by a collar 25 on-theshaft adapted toiabut against a guide sleeve 27 on' the frame 22, and sun rounding the shaft when the face of the shoe is in alinement with the upper edges of the mold pieces 18.

The shaft is moved by means of a cable control 28 worked by the operator, or by any other suitable means.

Above the container, and preferably at the back thereof is a chute 29, positioned so 7 as not to interfere with the movement of the shaft 23, and adapted to discharge the blockmaterial through the frame 1 and into the 111(JlCl-(30I1tfii1l81', there being a pallet-board 3O removably positioned immediately under the mold. This chute is preferably provided with spaced slide-gates 31, positioned to contain therebetween just the amount of material necessaryto form a certain sized block. When the size of the block is to be changed. the section 29 of the chutecontaining the gates is removed and another section containing different spaced gates is placed'therein, the spacing of such gates depending on the size of the block to be made, as previously stated.

In order to make the mold container open automatically when the lock 14 is released, and thus pull the mold away from the block without possible damage thereto, the end pieces 11 of the container are provided with lugs 32 to which are attached springs 83, under moderate tension, and also attached to the frame 22.

The front piece 12 of the container also has a lug 3 1 from which a cable 35 extends over a pulley 86 mounted on the frame 22, there being a counterweight 37 on the end of the cable beyond the pulley. This pulley is positioned a certain distance in front of the member 12 and is also in a plane somewhat beyond the end of the said member opposite the lock end thereof. I11 this manner the front side of the container is automatically thrown wide open as soon as the catch is unlocked, while at the same time the ends also spread somewhat, due to the action of the springs thereon.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that .we have produced such a device as'substantially'fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forthin detail, the present and preferred construction of-the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to and do block material from above, means for press ing said material into the volume included by the mold-pieces, and means for then freeing the mold from the block by a movement of the former in a horizontal plane.

2. An apparatus for making building blocks including mold-pieces shaped to form the edges of the blocks, and a container in which the mold pieces are removably fitted, said container comprising a plurality of member hinged together to enclose a predetermined area, one of said mold pieces being attached to each side member, a catch means on the end of one container member co-operating with the adjacent end of another member, and means for automatically causing the container members to spread apart from each other about their hinges as the axes when the catch is disengaged.

3. An apparatus for making building blocks including mold pieces shaped to form the edges of the bloc is, and a container in which the mold pieces are removably fitted, said container comprising a plurality of members hinged together to enclose a predetermined area, one of said mold pieces being attached to each side member, a catch means on one end of the front container member co-operating with the adjacent end of an end member of the container, tension springs fastened to the opposed end members and arranged to normally move them about their hinge connections with the back container member, the latter being rigidly fixed against movement, and means for causing the front member to move substantially in alinement with the end member to which it is hinged when the catch is disengaged.

4. An apparatus for making building blocks including a container in which the blocks are pressed, said container comprising a plurality of members hinged together to enclose a predetermined area, a catch means on one end of the front container member co-operating with the adjacent end of an end member of the container, tension springs fastened to the opposed end members and movement. and a flexible cable under tension attached to the front container member and extending above the same to a point forward thereof and in a plane adjacent the hinged end thereof.

5. An apparatus for making building blocks including a vertical sided frame enclosing a. predetermined area, a support depending from the back of said frame, a container fixed to the support immediately under the frame, removably fitted mold-pieces in said container, and means incorporated in the container for permitting the sides thereof opposite the frame support to be opened to allow a block to be horizontally'withdrawn therefrom.

6. An apparatus for making building blocks including a vertical sided frame enclosing a. predetermined area, a support depending from the back of said frame, a container fixed to the support immediately under the frame, the frame being arranged V to receive the block material from above, and

a plunger arranged to drop through saidframe and press the material to the top level of the container, the container being arranged tobe then opened to permit the formed block to be withdrawn.

7. In a block making apparatus, a container, and mold pieces removabl inserted in the inside thereof, the inner walls of the sides of the container being provided with grooves extending downwardly from the top but terminating short of the bottom, and corresponding lugs on the mold pieces, adapted to fit in the grooves, the shape of the grooves and lugs being such that when in position, the mold pieces cannot fall inwardly of the container.

In testimony, whereof we aflix our signatures.

HARRY E. GLOUSER. EDGAR R. THORNTON. 

